Catalina Echeverri Gallego

Practice Areas

Catalina Echeverri Gallego is a partner at Wordstone Dispute Resolution, specialising in international arbitration and working on both investment treaty and commercial arbitration matters. With over a decade of experience, Catalina has advised numerous clients in high-profile disputes, actively participating in negotiations, arbitration proceedings, and post-arbitration matters across a broad range of industries.

With a background in public policy from the University of Oxford, Catalina has dedicated her practice to cases involving sovereign states, state-owned entities, and state-owned companies. Her experience extends to navigating complex disputes spanning multiple jurisdictions, involving the application of public and private international law, and domestic legislation.

Catalina has acted in cases administered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), and other institutions, as well as ad hoc arbitrations under the UNCITRAL Rules. She has not only provided legal representation, but has also acted as sole arbitrator and president of the arbitral tribunal in international commercial arbitration.

Catalina has lectured at universities in the United States, France, Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, and Bolivia, and currently teaches International Contract Law at Sciences Po in Paris.

Professional Memberships

Asociación Latinomericana de Arbitraje (ALARB)

Club Español del Arbitraje (CEA)

Comité Colombiano de Arbitraje

Commission ICC Colombia

Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR)

Publications

Recent publications:

Latin American Panorama, in Journal of International Arbitration / Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage (2024)

Relationship between domestic and international law, in Handbook of International Law (Universidad de los Andes de Colombia) (2023)

Telecoms Arbitration in Latin America, in Global Arbitration Review Guide to Telecoms Arbitration (Global Arbitration Review) (2022)

International Investment Arbitration in the Latin-American Electricity Sector, in Latin America: Energy & Natural Resources Disputes (Kluwer) (2021)

Group Arbitration in International E-Commerce Contracts, in 40 Under 40 in International Arbitration (Dykinson) (2021)

Languages Spoken

Spanish, English and French

Experience

Recent experience:

Representing a South American State in an UNCITRAL investment arbitration commenced by a British company, concerning the exploitation of a silver mine that interfered with the rights of indigenous communities living in the project area.

Representing a South American State-owned enterprise in an ICSID arbitration against a South American State concerning the construction of a power transmission line.

Representing a Central American State in an ICSID arbitration commence by a Colombian company concerning the construction of a power transmission line.

Representing South American State in ICSID annulment proceedings concerning an award that solved a dispute regarding a participation contract for the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in the Amazon region.

Representing Caribbean State in an ICC commercial arbitration commenced by a Spanish company, concerning a concession contract for the construction and operation of a wind farm, as well as the negotiation of a power purchase agreement with a state-owned entity.

Representing a Caribbean state entity in an UNCITRAL commercial arbitration commenced by a Spanish company concerning the rehabilitation of the country’s electricity transmission networks and force majeure allegations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representing a Central American State in an UNCITRAL investment arbitration commenced by an Israeli company operating in the electricity distribution sector concerning criminal tax fraud claims brought by the country’s tax administration.

Representing a South American State in an ICSID arbitration commenced by a Swiss company concerning a concession for the operation of a maritime port and the application of the country’s antitrust regulations.

Representing a South American State in two ICSID arbitrations commenced by a Mexican and a Spanish Company, concerning a concession contract in the telecommunications industry, a decision of the Constitutional Court of the State and a decision of a domestic arbitral tribunal.

Representing the port authority of a South American State in a commercial arbitration against a Chinese company in a dispute related to a concession contract for the renovation and operation of a maritime port.

Representing a South American State in an UNCITRAL investment arbitration commenced by a Spanish company, concerning the concession for the operation of the country’s three international airports.

Representing a South American State in ICSID annulment proceedings concerning an award that solved a dispute regarding 11 mining concessions.

Industry Sector Expertise

Energy, oil and gas, mining, construction, engineering, real state, financial services, transport, pharmaceutical/life sciences and telecommunications.